Hans Posted July 24, 2011 Share Posted July 24, 2011 (edited) As we are having an early autumn here in Holland limiting other (outdoor)activities I pulled the recently acquired Trumpeter Bf 109G-6 out of the to do pile to have a better look at it. Having read differing views on the web and elswere on their new F/G series kits, especially on the length and shape of the fuselage I thought it a good idea to form my own opinion on this before I start to cut and glue plastic. Firstly the lenght of the fuselage on the Bf 109F-K series differs between various references. Lynn Ritger in his "The Messerschmitt Bf 109, a comprehensive guide for the modeller. Part 2: "F" to "K" variants" writes on page 214 that it is 8,94 metres, based on the official handbook. Both Thomas Hitchcock in his Monogram Close-Up 6 "Gustav Messerschmitt 109G part 1" on page 32 and John R. Beaman Jr. in Messerschmitt Bf 109 in action Part 2 on page 33 claim it to be 9,02 metres. Hasegawa tells you in their instruction sheet of the G-6 that the fuselage is 9,06 metres long. Trumpeter exeeds that number on their Bf 109G-6: on the box it says the model is 283,4 millimetres long, in 1:1 9,0688 metres. What is the correct lenght? In a recent tread on Hyperscale John Beaman stated that he tape measured several airframes and all turned out to be 9,02 metres. He further pointed out that the handbook lenght was based on airframes with an experimental propeller and shorter spinner than was the production standard that never made it into mass production. The link can be found herehttp://www.clubhyper.com/forums/forum.htm. mr. Beamans findings are confirmed by a Heinkel drawing of a Messerschmitt Bf 109K that gives the lenght as 9,02 metres as well. http://i1119.photobucket.com/albums/k638/Godbert/DSCN0987.jpg[/img]"] (From: Flugzeug Profile. Messerschmitt Bf-109G/K by Manfred Griehl, page 40). This makes the Trumpeter fuselage a little long by 283,4 - 281,875 (9,02 m. : 32) = 1,525 millimetres. In the same tread mentioned above Sherwood posted a Soviet drawing of the nose of a captured G-2 with dimensions in millimetres. According to this drawing the spinner length is 575 millimetres in 1:32 17,97 = 18 millimeteres. That makes the fuselage lenght in 1:32 minus the spinner 282 (rounded off) - 18 = 264 millimetres. Surprisingly when I measured up Trumpeters' fuselage length including the rudder it was exactly that number. More surprisingly Hasegawa's fuselage length minus the spinner is 262 millimetres, making it a little short (or: don't trust manufacturers' given measurements). To compare the shape of the fuselage with the real airframe I enlarged a scale drawing of a Bf 109F (having the same profile as a Bf 109G) found in Scale Models December 1976 issue and the drawing of the Bf 109G nose mentioned above to 1:32. The Bf 109F drawing measures a little over 265 millimetres when enlarged. The extra length is in the nose, as the length between the firewall and the tailwheel rib is a correct 162 millimetres (see the Heinkel drawing). laid over the drawing with the canopy hinge lines as a reference point the fuselage closely matches the drawing, being correctly 1 mm short in the nose and the lower line of the rudder being a little higher than the drawing. The rudder hinge line on the drawing is a little less than a mm further forward towards the nose. http://i1119.photobucket.com/albums/k638/Godbert/DSCN0986.jpg[/img]"] http://i1119.photobucket.com/albums/k638/Godbert/DSCN0975.jpg[/img]"] Comparing the forward fuselage with the Soviet drawing using the lower cowling rear vertical line as a reference point gives you a dead match. http://i1119.photobucket.com/albums/k638/Godbert/DSCN0980.jpg[/img]"] Lastly taping a Trumpeter left fuselage half to a right Hasegawa fuselage half shows that the rear fuselages match very well, with the Trumpeter rudder sitting a litlle higher and having the same shape as Hasegawas'. The rudder hinge line on the Hasegawa kit is some 2 mm further forward. The Hasegawa nose is 2 mm shorter. As I can see no further major problems with this kit (wings and tail have correct shapes, nice cockpit, ditto engine) it will be build out of the box (mostly, that is). The jury is still out on that rudder hinge line. To be continued Edited July 24, 2011 by Hans Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeroenpeters Posted July 24, 2011 Share Posted July 24, 2011 Hi hans, The weather indeed is appaling here in holland. I love your extensive research. Especially since i'm preparing for the same subject in the near future. Will be following this build. In hope of more rainy days Jeroen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hans Posted July 25, 2011 Author Share Posted July 25, 2011 (edited) Hi Jeroen, It is all Al Gores' fault. With all his talking of global warming he must have made someone up there very angry... Research is half the fun. For me anyway. I have been looking a bit deeper in in the box and..surprise. Those nice people from Trumpeter not only give you parts to make a G-6, but they have also added all the parts from their F-4, that is alas, apart from the tropical air filter. This allows you to make the whole series from the G-1 up to the G-6 trop as the starboard cowling of the G-6 has the cover for the larger oil pump of this version as well as the generator cooling scoop just on top of it -see photo below. Sand the scoop off and you have a G-5. For most G-6 aircraft you'll have to remove the cover, but that is an easy job. http://i1119.photobucket.com/albums/k638/Godbert/DSCN0985.jpg[/img]"] They have also added correct engine bearers and turbolader for the G-6. http://i1119.photobucket.com/albums/k638/Godbert/DSCN0990.jpg[/img]"] The only "fatal flaws" found so far is the omission of the taller tailwheel that was introduced on the G-3 and that the lower fuselage just behind the wing is flat instead of having a slight curve, but that is easily corrected with a little bending: http://i1119.photobucket.com/albums/k638/Godbert/DSCN0988.jpg[/img]"] Flat surface on the right, corrected on the left. http://i1119.photobucket.com/albums/k638/Godbert/DSCN0989.jpg[/img]"] Both parts corrected. Aires sells a set of resin main wheels for the "G" that also includes a tailwheel. Edited July 26, 2011 by Hans Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hans Posted July 26, 2011 Author Share Posted July 26, 2011 (edited) The DB 605 engine has been put together. From what I can gather from photos and drawings it looks a very good reprsentation of the real thing, if a bit underscale. When compared to the DB 605 drawing in the Hitchcock book -scaled down to 1:32- it is just a bit larger than 1:34. http://i1119.photobucket.com/albums/k638/Godbert/DSCN0992.jpg[/img]"] http://i1119.photobucket.com/albums/k638/Godbert/DSCN0993.jpg[/img]"] http://i1119.photobucket.com/albums/k638/Godbert/DSCN0995.jpg[/img]"] Edited July 28, 2011 by Hans Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hans Posted July 31, 2011 Author Share Posted July 31, 2011 I have done some work on the right cockpit wall over the weekend. The oxygen hose that comes with the F/early G parts in the kit was added, the breathing apparatus was slightly modified and a flow control was added (at least I think that's what it is). Also the qxygen control panel was moved forward from its original postion -the whit rectangle just next to it- and electrical cables were added from sprue. http://i1119.photobucket.com/albums/k638/Godbert/DSCN0998.jpg[/img]"] http://i1119.photobucket.com/albums/k638/Godbert/DSCN1000.jpg[/img]"] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeroenpeters Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 Great research! You're saving me a lot of work. Pave the way! I'm loving it. Cheers, jeroen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hans Posted August 7, 2011 Author Share Posted August 7, 2011 (edited) You are welcome Jeroen!. I'll send you the bill when I am finished. Trumpeter supplies a very nice droptank and rack with a photoetched holding strip with the kit . The connecting points (pins) between the rack and the tank are tiny, I therefore reinforced the bond with very small drops of thin superglue. http://i1119.photobucket.com/albums/k638/Godbert/DSCN1006.jpg[/img]"] Edited August 7, 2011 by Hans Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hans Posted August 7, 2011 Author Share Posted August 7, 2011 (edited) The seat set up as supplied by Trumpeter looks like the one used for the F and early G (up to G2/G-3)series. I have been unable to find a picture of a similar seat for the G-6. All pictures of G-6 seats that I could dig up show that the rear cockpit wall doubles as seat back, so this area was modified in accordance with this information. http://i1119.photobucket.com/albums/k638/Godbert/DSCN1003.jpg[/img]"] Trumpeter set up http://i1119.photobucket.com/albums/k638/Godbert/DSCN1010.jpg[/img]"] modified set up Edited August 7, 2011 by Hans Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hans Posted August 7, 2011 Author Share Posted August 7, 2011 (edited) Right fuselage cockpit wall. I added the tailwheel lock (the rod just under the canopy rim and an oblong part at the back that is used for the trim tab mechanism and is controlled by a chain (yet to be added) http://i1119.photobucket.com/albums/k638/Godbert/DSCN1011-1.jpg[/img]"] http://i1119.photobucket.com/albums/k638/Godbert/DSCN1007.jpg[/img]"] Impression of the right wall plus floor & rear wall temporarily put together. Edited August 7, 2011 by Hans Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hans Posted August 7, 2011 Author Share Posted August 7, 2011 The instrument panel comes in ususal Trumpeter fashion, that is in clear plastic with an normal piece of plastic thta serves as back plate. The clear part was sanded much thinner at the back and then polished back to its original clarity. The instrument panel decal -not mentioned in the instructions- was put on the back plate and the instrument panel sandwiched on top of it. http://i1119.photobucket.com/albums/k638/Godbert/DSCN1008.jpg[/img]"] The handles are yet to be painted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hans Posted August 7, 2011 Author Share Posted August 7, 2011 (edited) The kits' spinner is about 1 mm short in length and has a domed shape, it should be pointier. The spinner was therefore sawn open and a 1 mm thick spacer was added. A template was made of the countour of the spinner from the drawing mentioned in post #1. The spnner was placed on my Proxxon minidrill and filed and sanded into shape, using the template as a guide. Overheating of the plastic caused ruptures in the plastic unfortunately, that had to be repaired. The openings for the propeller are u-shaped but should be higher and have a fluted shape. A template from the opening of the spinner of the the Hasegawa Bf 109F was cut, placed over the opening of the Trumpy spinner and cut into shape using a surgical scalpel. http://i1119.photobucket.com/albums/k638/Godbert/DSCN0996.jpg[/img]"] http://i1119.photobucket.com/albums/k638/Godbert/DSCN0997.jpg[/img]"] http://i1119.photobucket.com/albums/k638/Godbert/DSCN1012.jpg[/img]"] Edited August 7, 2011 by Hans Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Peterpools Posted August 7, 2011 Share Posted August 7, 2011 Hans Exceptional attention to detail. I am amazed at the extent of the research you have gone to verify and correct the inaccuracies of the kit. Fantastic workmanship. Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hans Posted August 7, 2011 Author Share Posted August 7, 2011 As the engine block is somewhat short, the spacing of the exhausts is too close together,resulting in a gap at the rear of the exhaust opening on the model, see pic. http://i1119.photobucket.com/albums/k638/Godbert/DSCN1005.jpg[/img]"] As I will build my model with the cowling closed, and respacing the exhaust pipes is too much work, I went for the easy way out and will use the exhaust pipes from a Hasegawa kit. These fit perfectly as can be seen in the photo below. Aftermarket exhausts from Quickboost will work fine as well, I think. http://i1119.photobucket.com/albums/k638/Godbert/DSCN1004.jpg[/img]"] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miamiangler Posted August 7, 2011 Share Posted August 7, 2011 (edited) Hi Hans, Looks good ,great work so far .One of my favorate 109`s . Any idea which one you are going to do ! German ,Finish or Italian ? Willi Edited August 7, 2011 by miamiangler Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hans Posted August 7, 2011 Author Share Posted August 7, 2011 Hi Peter, thanks. Much data on the g-6 is readily available from my bookshelf. The kit itself looks like a scaledown of their 1:24 kit that had the correct rear cockpit wall. I think that Aires will come out with a cockpit set shortly (they already have a G-2 cockpit set for the kit). Hi Willi, thank you for your kind words. I plan to finish it as a nightfighter flown by Arnold Doering of 7./ JG 300. His biography can be found herehttp://www.luftwaffe.cz/doring.html A pic of his airplane: http://luftwaffeinprofile.se/Doering.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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